Is Vinegar The Solution To Foul-Smelling Towels? Here's What To Know Before Pouring

Fluffy towels that smell fresh are a must if you're hoping to curate a spa-like environment in your bathroom. How else will you star in your personal advert and breathe in their rich fragrance before using them? However, if your fairly-new towels start smelling anything but pleasant, you might want to look into possible solutions, like vinegar, to get rid of the funky odors. But will this acidic liquid breathe new life into your foul-smelling towels? Essentially, yes.

The acetic acid in vinegar eliminates mold and mildew spores as well as other malodorous bacteria, helping your towels smell clean. It can dissolve hard water deposits, including calcium and magnesium, which contribute to lingering odors. It also takes care of the caked-on detergent or fabric softener residue, which oppresses the fibers and causes them to smell bad. Plus, it's a great way to get your kitchen and bath towels clean together.

Considering these pros, vinegar might seem like a magical solution for your musty towels. But you should exercise caution when pouring it in. This is because you can't use it during each of your laundering sessions. Overuse can damage towel fibers and cause them to look worn sooner than expected. Regularly using vinegar (particularly if you add more than the recommended amount) can take a toll on your washing machine as well. The acidic solution will be too rough on your appliance's rubber seal, gasket, drum, and hose. This can lead to costly repairs and may even void a manufacturer's warranty in some cases. So, ensure you go through the user manual before using vinegar and rely on it sparingly.

Gather your funky towels and put them in the washer. Add between ¼ and ½ cup of distilled white vinegar in the fabric softener slot — you don't need detergent here. In case your appliance doesn't have this compartment, wait until the rinse cycle and manually add the directed dosage to the drum. This amount typically works best for cleaning two to three big towels. So, feel free to adjust this based on how many towels you're washing in one go. Select the hot water setting for your neutral or pastel shade pieces, or the warm cycle if they're bright-colored. Let the cycle complete before bringing out your clean-smelling towels. In addition to reducing odors, this process can refresh towels and help prevent your whites from fading.

Although a vinegar wash will neutralize foul odors, sometimes just one cycle might not make much of a difference if the stench is too bad. Under such circumstances, go through the steps listed above at least once more. Certain unique cases might require an extra cycle as well. If you're worried about your towels smelling sour like vinegar, baking soda can come to your rescue. Simply pour ½ cup of baking soda directly into the drum and run a second wash cycle. Don't add vinegar or detergent to this cycle. This should remove any lingering musk and soften your towels. Finally, put them in the dryer on a low or medium heat setting since you should think twice before air drying this laundry item.